The Legacy of the Gettysburg Address

Introduction

Abraham Lincoln delivered his most famous speech as president on November 19, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This speech, delivered at Union Cemetery after the Battle of Gettysburg, was intended to help mourn the troops who perished, but it accomplished far more. One of the most important speeches delivered during the Civil War was Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.¹ This speech captures all that the United States was going through at the time. For the multitudes of individuals who have lost hope, Abraham Lincoln might utilize this speech to symbolize it.

The Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address encapsulates what our country stands for and why it is a beautiful country. Even though the war was not finished, Lincoln was able to give the people of the union a sense of security. The first few lines of Lincoln’s speech establish the tone for the message he wants to communicate. “Four score and seven years ago, on this continent, our father brought out a new nation, formed in liberty and devoted to the notion that “all men are created equal,”² Lincoln says in his address. He is attempting to make the message that this country was built based on equality, and he intends to do all in his power to ensure that it remains so. So many individuals in the country at the time just wanted the nation to reunite behind the ideals upon which it was built.

Another argument Lincoln seeks to emphasize in his speech is that the events of the war must not be forgotten. “We here decide that these deceased shall not have died in vain; that the nation shall have a fresh birth of freedom, and that governance by the people, for the people, shall not disappear from the earth”³ he declares. Lincoln attempts to persuade the citizens of the union and the rest of the split country that they must defend the ideas that the soldiers on the battlefield are fighting for and that they must not allow them to die in vain. Moreover, the president gives many people optimism by declaring that the US is still a country for the people and that this would not change.

Speaking about the legacy of the battle, Lincoln, it seems to me, was talking about the victory of freedom over tyranny, will over malice. Despite the tragedy that unfolded on the battlefield, this event gave rise to an echo that has come down to modern times. An echo of people who had fought for freedom since the day when the proud American nation was born from the ideas of freedom, equality, and the brotherhood of citizens. Many republics proceeded from these ideals, but only America never lost in their struggle. Liberty, equality, and the rule of law are what the Confederates in Lincoln’s rule times and the Nazis in the times of Roosevelt were trying to destroy. Moreover, that is what Lincoln was talking about, the people of America who keep the flame of freedom burning in the fields of Gettysburg from dying.

Conclusion

To summarize, the Gettysburg Address was one of the most impactful speeches of its day, and it is still remembered today throughout the United States. When neither of these things was available, Lincoln was able to send a message of optimism and determination. He discussed the principles upon which our countries were built and why each Civil War incident must be remembered. This war’s repercussions may still be felt in our daily lives. This speech encapsulates everything we stand for as a country, and it will go down in history as one of the most acceptable presidential addresses ever given.

Bibliography

The Gettysburg Address. (n.d.). Cornell University.

History.com Editors. (n.d.). The Gettysburg Address. HISTORY.

National Geographic Society. (2020). Gettysburg Address.

Footnotes

1. The Gettysburg Address. (n.d.). Cornell University. Web.
2. History.com Editors. (n.d.). The Gettysburg Address. HISTORY. Web.
3. National Geographic Society. (2020). Gettysburg Address. Web.